Michael Paskaruk

Michael M. Paskaruk passed away peacefully at the Gilbert Plains Personal Care Home on Thursday, March 13, 2025.

Michael was the first-born child of Harry and Victoria (Maksymetz) Paskaruk, born July 17, 1953 in the Gilbert Plains Hospital, Gilbert Plains, Manitoba. Michael attended Borshaw School from grade 1 through to grade 8, completing his high school education at Ethelbert Collegiate and Saint Vladimir College in Roblin, Manitoba. Mike graduated from high school in 1971, then entered the University of Brandon, where he studied arts for one and a half years, he also attended summer school on three occasions.

After graduation, Michael joined his father, Harry and brother Morris working on the Canadian National Railway, on the B & B gangs building bridges across Northern Manitoba between The Pas and Churchill. Mike returned home to Mink Creek and resided with Dido and Baba (Mike and Francis (Plawicki) Maksymetz) and his uncle Walter Maksymetz, where he was employed as a painter and carpenters’ helper.

Michael’s hobbies were writing, poetry and songs, playing guitar, and coaching hockey in Ethelbert Manitoba for the Ethelbert Eagles. Michael wrote and published countless poems about family and friends. His style of writing has been in free verse and in rhyming poetry. When his youngest brother Glenn was small, Mike made a huge poster on Bristol board and drew fictional characters on it, giving them all names, some fictional and others from families and people he knew in the area. There was; Myra Baconridge, Sam Pickenpaws, Bretzky Bear, Dumaurier Rabbit, and Snodgrass the cat. Mike would make up fictional stories based on these characters and read them to Glenn every night at bedtime along with the poster, so there was a visual to go with the story time.

When in university, Michael wrote two songs and recorded on a 45 record. The names of those songs were Jenny Lou and Penny Don’t Leave Again. Mike put together a band from three different bands in Winnipeg. Koko played the guitar, Koko and Suzanne sang the lyrics from the song and the drummer was from the band Mood Jga Jga. They played one summer on CKY and CJOB radio stations. Michael also had a collection of songs registered with Socan in Toronto, Ontario, and a song called Funky Chick, which was chosen from the archives and played on the Conan O’Brien late show from New York as their opening song. Michael was paid royalties for many years for this.

In later years, when Mike was in the Gilbert Plains Personal Care Home and Morris and Eileen would visit him often and attend to his needs. Mike had developed code words for them. Mike was on a fluid restricted diet as well as diabetic and would call Morris and say ‘when you come to visit, could you bring some hot stuff’, code word for Pepsi and Ginger ale, also ‘we need to have some lunch so please bring sandwiches. Morris would take sausage and cheese, his favorite. One day Morris took bologna sandwiches, which he savoured and then said ‘so good’ just like Baba used to make.

Mike was a very humble and peaceful man, he loved all his nieces and nephews and looked forward to seeing them when they visited or hearing from them if they called or wrote to him. Mike ate by the dining room table in the activity room, where he could watch the children play across the road at the Gilbert Plains schoolyard at recess. When the children attended the care home, Mike would make special pictures to put on the windows where they could see them. Mike also made pictures for all the residents and nurses on special occasions, and they still hang in all their rooms.

He will be missed by all for his loving and generous ways, as well as his big heart.

Left to mourn Michael’s passing is his sister, Constance Faucher (Paskaruk) of Saint Malo, Manitoba; Morris Paskaruk and wife, Eileen of Mink Creek, Manitoba; Glenn Paskaruk and wife Leanne of Winnipeg, Manitoba; sister-in-law Sandra Paskaruk; also many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews; too numerous to mention.

Mike was predeceased by his Dido Michael Maksymetz in 1988, his Baba Francis Maksymetz (Plawicki) in 2000, father Harry Paskaruk in 2014, and mother Victoria Paskaruk (Maksymetz) in 2019, Uncle Walter Maksymetz in 2017, brother Fr. Ken Paskaruk in 1992 and brother Arnold Paskaruk in 2018.

Вечная память! Vichnaya Pamyat!  Eternal memory!

A Funeral Service was held for Michael on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 11:00 am from the Sneath-Strilchuk Family Care Centre in Dauphin with Rev Father Ivan Hnativ officiating. 

Interment followed in the Mink Creek Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery.

Should friends so desire, donations in memory of Michael may be made to Mink Creek Holy Trinity Church.

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